CEDRELA TOONA. (Nat. ord. Meliacese.) 



CeDRELA. (Linn.) Gen. PI. p. 339. — GEN". CHAR. Calyx short 5 partite, petals 5 erect keeled inside on the middle, imbricate or contorted 

 or valvate at the base, disk adnate with the stalk glandular 5 ribbed concrete between the ribs with the interposed plaits of the petals, 4-6 lobed at the apex. 

 Stamens 4-6 inserted on the apex of the disk sometimes alternate with aa many staminodes, filaments subulate, anthers oblong or cordate attached by their 

 bark a little above the base, at first introrse at length versatile ; ovary on the top of the disk, ovoid 5 celled attenuated into a style, stigma dilated, ovaries 

 8-12 in each cell in 2 series, pendulous, capsule coriaceous or membranaceous 5 celled, 5 valved dehiscing from the apex, septifragal, valves 2 lamellate 

 separating from the axis which is 5 angled, seeds pendulous compressed imbricate produced downwards into a wing, albumen sparse fleshy, cotyledons sub- 

 foliaceous, radicle short superior exserted. Tall treeB, leaves unequally pinnated, leaflets opposite or nearly so, many paired, unequal sided, panicles terminal 

 flowers small. 



v^EDRELA TOONA. (Roxb.) Leaves abruptly pinnate, leaflets from 6 to 12 pair, ovato-laneeolate, acuminate, 2J- to 5 inches 

 long 1 \ to If broad, slightly undulated on the margin, quite entire or slightly and distinctly toothed glabrous, panicles drooping, petals 

 ciliated, staminodes none ; ovary with a very short stalk and 8 ovules in each cell, capsule oblong. Roxb. Fl. Ind. i. 635. — W.A. prod. 

 p. 124.— If. Ic. t. 161. 



A large tree with an erect trunk and light grey smooth bark found in almost all the forests of the Madras Presidency, Bombay, Mysore, 

 Bengal and Birmah—it ascends the mountains to an elevation of about 4000 feet, confines itself generally to the dry deciduous tracts of forest, but is 

 sometimes met with in sholas. It is the white cedar of Europeans, and is often but erroneously called the Chittagongwood ; it is known by the name 

 of Toon in Bengal, Suli and Mali in the Salem district, Kal Kilingi on the slopes of the Nilgiris, and Sandani Vembu in Tinnevelly. It is often 

 employed as an avenue tree and is much planted for this purpose in some parts of the Salem district. It grows very readily from seed, and the 

 Forest Department have noio a considerable plantation of it on the Shevaroys near Salem. The timber is well known, it is of a light rose color, strong, 

 tolerably light and close-grained, and is much used for furniture and cabinet purposes and also for building. In Assam admirable boats are made 

 from it. The tree flowers in April and May — its flowers are very fragrant and are used in Mysore for dying a red color called Gulinari : the seeds 

 ripen towards the end of the rains : the bark is a powerful astringent and is useful in cases of fever, diarrhoea and dysentery, and the natives apply it 

 when powdered externally in the treatment of ulcers. Nees, von Esenbeck has published an account of the analysis of the bark which indicated the 

 existence of a resinous astringent matter, a brown astringent gum and a gummy brown extractive matter resembling ulmine. The tree is called Thit- 

 ka-do in Birmah — it is curiously quite absent from Ceylon. 



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